diff --git a/apps/web/__tests__/unit/playback-store.test.ts b/apps/web/__tests__/unit/playback-store.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9774ee83772
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/web/__tests__/unit/playback-store.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { createPlaybackStore } from "@/app/s/[videoId]/_components/playback/playback-store";
+
+function createMockVideoElement(initialProps?: {
+	currentTime?: number;
+	duration?: number;
+	paused?: boolean;
+}) {
+	const listeners = new Map<string, Set<() => void>>();
+	const element = {
+		currentTime: initialProps?.currentTime ?? 0,
+		duration: initialProps?.duration ?? Number.NaN,
+		paused: initialProps?.paused ?? true,
+		ended: false,
+		addEventListener: vi.fn((event: string, handler: () => void) => {
+			if (!listeners.has(event)) {
+				listeners.set(event, new Set());
+			}
+			listeners.get(event)?.add(handler);
+		}),
+		removeEventListener: vi.fn((event: string, handler: () => void) => {
+			listeners.get(event)?.delete(handler);
+		}),
+		play: vi.fn(),
+		pause: vi.fn(),
+	} as unknown as HTMLVideoElement;
+
+	const dispatchEvent = (event: string) => {
+		listeners.get(event)?.forEach((handler) => {
+			handler();
+		});
+	};
+
+	return { element, dispatchEvent, listeners };
+}
+
+describe("createPlaybackStore", () => {
+	it("notifies subscribers when duration loads while paused at time zero (#2931)", () => {
+		const store = createPlaybackStore(0);
+		const { element, dispatchEvent } = createMockVideoElement({
+			currentTime: 0,
+			duration: Number.NaN,
+			paused: true,
+		});
+
+		store.attach(element);
+		expect(store.getDuration()).toBe(0);
+
+		const subscriber = vi.fn();
+		store.subscribe(subscriber);
+		expect(subscriber).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+		expect(subscriber).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(0);
+
+		(element as { duration: number }).duration = 2.0;
+		dispatchEvent("loadedmetadata");
+
+		expect(subscriber).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+		expect(store.getDuration()).toBe(2.0);
+	});
+
+	it("notifies subscribers when durationchange fires while paused", () => {
+		const store = createPlaybackStore(0);
+		const { element, dispatchEvent } = createMockVideoElement({
+			currentTime: 0,
+			duration: Number.NaN,
+			paused: true,
+		});
+
+		store.attach(element);
+
+		const subscriber = vi.fn();
+		store.subscribe(subscriber);
+		expect(subscriber).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+		(element as { duration: number }).duration = 4.5;
+		dispatchEvent("durationchange");
+
+		expect(subscriber).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+		expect(store.getDuration()).toBe(4.5);
+	});
+
+	it("suppresses redundant notifications when neither time nor duration changed", () => {
+		const store = createPlaybackStore(0);
+		const { element, dispatchEvent } = createMockVideoElement({
+			currentTime: 0,
+			duration: 3.0,
+			paused: true,
+		});
+
+		store.attach(element);
+
+		const subscriber = vi.fn();
+		store.subscribe(subscriber);
+		expect(subscriber).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+		dispatchEvent("timeupdate");
+		expect(subscriber).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+	});
+
+	it("notifies subscribers when setFallbackDuration changes the effective duration", () => {
+		const store = createPlaybackStore(0);
+		const subscriber = vi.fn();
+		store.subscribe(subscriber);
+		expect(subscriber).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+		expect(store.getDuration()).toBe(0);
+
+		store.setFallbackDuration(10.0);
+		expect(subscriber).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+		expect(store.getDuration()).toBe(10.0);
+
+		store.setFallbackDuration(10.0);
+		expect(subscriber).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+	});
+});
diff --git a/apps/web/app/s/[videoId]/_components/playback/playback-store.ts b/apps/web/app/s/[videoId]/_components/playback/playback-store.ts
index c6e38546207..74b2c26bdc8 100644
--- a/apps/web/app/s/[videoId]/_components/playback/playback-store.ts
+++ b/apps/web/app/s/[videoId]/_components/playback/playback-store.ts
@@ -46,11 +46,15 @@ export function createPlaybackStore(fallbackDuration: number | null = 0) {
 
 	/** Pull `currentTime`/`duration` off the element and notify time subscribers. */
 	const sample = (force = false) => {
+		let durationChanged = false;
 		if (element && isFiniteDuration(element.duration)) {
-			duration = element.duration;
+			if (duration !== element.duration) {
+				duration = element.duration;
+				durationChanged = true;
+			}
 		}
 		const next = element?.currentTime ?? time;
-		if (next === time && !force) return;
+		if (next === time && !force && !durationChanged) return;
 		time = next;
 		emitTime();
 	};
@@ -174,8 +178,12 @@ export function createPlaybackStore(fallbackDuration: number | null = 0) {
 	const getPlaying = () => playing;
 
 	const setFallbackDuration = (next: number | null) => {
-		fallback = normalizeDuration(next);
+		const nextFallback = normalizeDuration(next);
+		const durationChanged =
+			!isFiniteDuration(duration) && fallback !== nextFallback;
+		fallback = nextFallback;
 		if (!isFiniteDuration(duration)) duration = fallback;
+		if (durationChanged) emitTime();
 	};
 
 	const seek = (target: number) => {